President Goodluck Jonathan, dressed up in the uniform of a Field Marshal, inspects a guard of honour mounted by officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army

Major General NC Maduegbunam, Commander of the Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and recipient of the Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation for Innovation receives his award from President Jonathan

Paratroopers of the Nigerian Army Airborne Force

Nigerian Army Airborne Forces do their thing

Combat March by Nigerian Army troops

Nigerian Army Special Forces commandos march past at NADCEL 2013

ZSU-23-4 Shilka Self-Propelled Anti Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) systems

Panhard VBL M11 armoured recce vehicles of the Nigerian Army

C3 Command Post Vehicles of the Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery

Panhard ERC90 Sagaie AFVs of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps

PHOTO CREDIT: NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA/FRONTIERSNEWS

Otokar Cobra APC

(Photo Credit: The Nation Newspapers)

Alvis Scorpion light tanks drive past

(Photo Credit: The Nation Newspapers)

Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL
2013) SEEN LIVE on NTA NETWORK

* Acrobatic displays underway. – visible in the background is a Landcruiser gun-truck obviously part of the security operations.

* Nigerian Army paratroopers jumped as the C-in-C watched through binoculars. The Airborne Wing of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry was set up with the help of Major Bradford of the US Army in 1986. One of the jumpers was a 41 year old Lt Colonel who is the Chief Instructor of the Airborne Wing at NASI. Of the jumpers, the youngest had performed 259 halo jumps and 45 combat jumps. One paratrooper, a MWO, had 450+ halo jumps and 85 combat jumps tucked under his belt.

* MILITARY POLICE K9 Unit – (WAR DOG) . They have been active in the Northeast on CTCOIN operations. Interesting to know that the Commanding Officer of the War Dog Unit is someone who I met in 1995 as a young Lieutenant when he was AO Camp at the Provost Battalion at Ojo Cantonment, Lagos, in the person of Colonel Armstrong Bitiyong – worthy first son of the brilliant Lt. Colonel Musa Bitiyong who was killed in March 1986. Armstrong’s farher, Musa Bitiyong alongside the late Brigadier Ibrahim
Ahmadu Bako, led the operations which
scouted the forests of Zimbabwe to
convince ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas to
come out and be sent to Nigeria for training, preparatory to integration into
the new Zimbabwe National Army

Moving on, there are three War Dog platoons active in the Northeast with a total of 20 dogs in operation. The dogs are variously trained in explosive detection, narcotics detection, cadavar detection, search and rescue, checkpoint control and patrolling.

* COMBAT MARCH AND EQUIPMENT DISPLAY

Leading the armoured vehicles was the Made-in-Nigeria Igirigi APC, painted in even more beautiful desert camouflage.The Igirigi APC was immediately followed by an array of eight Panhard VBL scout cars. Next came three Panhard AML 60 armoured fighting vehicles and a lone Panhard M3 APC (first-ever sighting in Nigerian service by this commentator), albeit configured as a battlefield ambulance.

Next came five Scorpion light tanks which were followed by five tracked Spartan APCs and seven beautiful Otokar Cobra APCs painted in desert camouflage – a Nigerian first. These were in turn followed by seven Panhard ERC90 Sagaie AFVs which were first inducted into Nigerian Army service in 1988.

* The Nigerian Army Engineers were led in by fabulously kitted combat engineers and they also displayed a range of engineering vehicles.

* The NA Signals Corps followed with an assortment of communications hardware configured on Mercedes Benz and Landcruiser trucks. The Stallion Surveillance Vehicle configured on a Pinzgauer ATV chassis by 51 Div Signals also displayed.

Heartwarming was the strong showing put in by the Landcruiser – the Army’s new and very appropriate bride and a move away from thousands of Toyota Hilux,Mitsubishi and Ford Ranger 4WD trucks. Toyota Landcruiser trucks and jeeps exclusively deployed today.

* The Ordnance Corps followed the Signals Corps with a Made-in-Nigeria field kitchen and a Made-in-Nigeria
airconditioned desert tent. Cheery.

* The Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery. More shock effect. Three ZSU-Shilka
SPAAGs passed by followed by four
Landcruiser C3 command post vehicles Next came a Mercedes Benz MB 2628
prime mover with a Bofors FH77B 155mm artillery piece in tow. They were closely followed by Palmaria self-propelled 155mm artillery – weighing 43 tons and protected against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons

* Combat March by the various corps of the Nigerian Army followed

CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF’S COMMENDATION 2013

+ Major General NC Maduegbunam,Commander NA Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; Innovation Award for the fabrication of an Electronic Target Acquisition Machine and Mobile Kitchen, rehabilitation of Steyr APCs and completion of the Command Workshop in Kaduna

– Major General AK Kwaskebe, Commander NA Corps of Artillery; Innovation Award for repairs of several artillery weapons and allied equipment.

– Major General JN Nwaoga, Commander NA Armoured Corps; Innovation Award for the resuscitation of Panhard AFVs and effective command of 23 Armoured Brigade in CTCOIN operations until 2012

– Major General GA Wahab, GOC 1 Mechanised Infantry Division; Operations Award for greatly curbing the menace of insurgency and terrorism in his volatile area of operations which covers flashpoints such as Kano,Kaduna, Sokoto etc

– Brig General II Abba, Commander 3 Brigade; Operations Award – for his effective command of troops to greatly curb attacks by insurgents and terrorists in Kano and insulating the states of Jigawa and Katsina under his AOR from the menace of terrorists.

– Brig General BO Ogunkale Commander 43 Div Engrs: Innovation Award for the fabrication of appropriate special equipment (Landcruiser gun-trucks) and allied equipment used for CTCOIN operations in NE Nigeria

– Brig Gen CT Olukoju, Commander 51 Division NA Signals; Innovation Award for the creation of the Stallion Surveillance Vehicle which has made video monitoring and live streaming, ground to air communications and internet access available at the frontlines in Mali and NE Nigeria

– Brig Gen OZ Azinta, Commander 13 Amphibious Brigade; Integrity Award for rejecting $30,000 bribe during his time as Chief of Staff of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta

– Lt Colonel AK Lawal, Commanding Officer Command Workshop Kaduna; Innovation Award for his role in the fabrication of a Mobile Kitchen mounted on a Toyota Landcruiser

– Lt Colonel Y Ibrahim, SO1 Personnel, NA Armoured Corps; Innovation Award for the development of an automated personnel management system relating to credit facilities and postings; helped to resolve issues relating to the braking system of the Panhard AML 60.

– Major AK Ali, Instructor NDA; Innovation Award for the production of a detailed map of NDA training areas in southeast Kaduna.

33 Responses to HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NIGERIAN ARMY DAY CELEBRATION(NADCEL 2013); VIEWED ON TELEVISION AND SUMMARISED BY BEEGEAGLE

Note that the triservice Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria already manufacture field kitchens. What the NA Ordnance Corps have now done is to make their own and have it self-propelled by mounting same on the back of Toyota Landcruiser trucks.

My ogas, the display was impressive. But at first i thought there wasn’t much on display, but later i realised the NA was not out today to show the maximum equipment in their armoury. They were out to show achievments made in the past year. On display were only NA innovative achievments and equipment refurbished by the NAEME. Kudos NA!

@ oga henry,it was a combat march past,u do not expect thm to thing of physical appearance while at war??that’s just like thinking of how new the paint job of your tank or apc is on the war front,they have shown us previously that if its beauty they can conform to that and now(today)they have proved that even while looking rugged and ready 4 war they looked awesome,those guys looked great with their shirts not tucked in,am so proud of the nigerian army.

I like the public commendations given especially to the senior officers .leadership is by example.This will go a long to convince the junior officers what to aspire and to be commended for.I AM HOPING AT THE next armyCELEBERATION ( 2014?) G.E.J .will procure T90 tanks ( sorry OGA BEEGS I DISAGREE ON UPGRADING T55).

You are right, Obix. It was all about showcasing innovations and the innovators and recognising combat proficiency.

The NA Engineers who we had so many kind words for this, on account of the Igirigi APC, the Police College turnaround, 180 one-bedroom units in Lagos and the refurbishment programmes, stole the show. Worthy Nigerians.

@Oga Henry. The C-in-C really had fun and kept on tugging at the COAS’s hand to get him to explain the unfolding events. At least, the man seemed eager and is obviously interested in military stuff. That stands us in good stead.

Thank you, NA. You guys made it worthwhile. I had to fire on all cylinders to watch and at the same time key in all salient details to bring to you and still cannot believe that I managed to key in the correct names and ranks, achievements and appointments held by the award-winning officers. The DAPR, Brig General Attahiru was quite snappy about reading out the names and citations and I had to follow at combative speed:-)

Recall that we mentioned pointedly that we had never seen a Nigerian Army Panhard M3 APC and have I seen military p’rades in this one lifetime! They obliged me and showed me one – in very good condition too for the first-time ever and I have seen p’rades on TV since I was ten. Never mind those which we have watched live.

ME THINKS THIS IS BEGINNIG TO BODE WELL FOR THEARMY
OGA BEEGEAGLE the army has done well to invite GEJ to these events havING MADE IT MY JOB TO STUDY GEJ impartially he takes his time and impressions especially about MADE IN Nigeria arouse his interest. The true success about the nadecle celebration is the timing LET US FLASH BACK TO TWO CRITICAL EVENTS
Event#1 This concerned one of the first military maneuvers of the coast of lagos involving warships retaking an island this staged for the benefit of YARADUA R.I.P. this made a great impression procurement on a modest scale for the navy .
Event#2 &3 the production of the n.n andoni and the apc igirigi no doubt has stirred GEJ roots to the core. The army will be advised to improve not only on the igrigi but to follow through on making it stronger, ( ballistic wise) run flat tires off course bullet proof windows and by 2014 have igirigi 2 hey ” if the president is excited at your presentation that means good things are coming your way
ALL IN ALL well done NA

Met a U.S. ARMY guy at the airport headed for AFGHANISTAN he had one (BELGIAN Shepherd) with him.
I at that time had a German shepherd . We got to talking and he told me the Belgian Shepherd is one of the smartest dogs for military operations this really makes my day these guys are not messing around.

Wow…I missed the event. Great pics right there, though I feel the NADCEL 2012 celebration last year was cooler with the demonstration from Army Special Forces, paratroopers, and the Airforce 😀 . That said, I must give kudos to the officers and men of both the Signals and Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Corps of the NA. They’ve performed remarkably well.

But, why use the old Toyota Landcruiser as a C3I Platform? The Pinzgauer was OK, and the Piranha isn’t a bad choice. Or even our good ole Landrovers.

The Artillery Corps is large with over 600 towed, rocket and self-propelled artillery systems from an assortment of suppliers. Given that size and diverse origins – 105mm, 122mm, 130mm, 152mm and 155mm acquired at different epochs, there is bound to be an assortment of C3 and carrier vehicles as well.

To be sure there is this type of C3 Landcruiser, there are still Landrover-based C3s, UNIMOG-based C3s and the Pinzgauer-based types. The Pinzgauer also serves as artillery tractor for 105mm pieces.

By the same token, there are MACK, Mercedes Benz and DAF prime movers and tank/SP arty transporters.

We have 129 units of T55, including 79 delivered post-2000. We also use the Type 90 35mm AA guns which are improved Chinese-built clones of the Oerlikon GDF. So our Arma and Arty chaps should be very familiar with both systems.

Now, if I had my way and assuming a $350k upgrade to the Typhoon MBT, I would factually upgrade 50 units of our more modern T55 variants to the TYPHOON MBT. A tank with a more powerful engine than the T72 and the same 125mm main gun cannot be ignored. The Typhoon has to have been heavily inspired by the T72 and Oplot tanks.

Next, I would transfer all 30 units of ZSU-23-4 Shilka SPAAG to the mechanised brigades for permanent use as a fire support system ala ECOMOG.

From the remaining 79 units, I would reconfigure 35 units for the mechanised brigades by mounting the powerful Ukrainian-made Shturm combat module complete with radar+30mm cannon+GPMG+ATGMs on them…same as we have on our BTR-3 IFVs

Finally, I would take another 35 units and depending on cost, have the British reconfigure them as Marksman SPAAG or get the Chinese to mount twin Type 90 35mm AA cannons+fire control radars on them.

The remaining nine units of T55 would be scrapped for spares. All the upgrades would take place at the Special Vehicle Plant in Bauchi where 36 Scorpion and 14 T55 tanks were upgraded in the early 2000s by Messrs Marshpearl of Ireland and Expoma of Austria.

All of those upgrades would cost about 40 million dollars and provide new armoured, mechanised and arty weapons which are good to go until 2030. Finally, I would grab 100 units of T72 tanks modernised in Ukraine for $50 million

For a grand total of about $90 million, that would bring 220 powerful, modern and very durable mechanised infantry, artillery and armoured assets to our arsenal

– 100 upgraded T72 with ERA Kontakt armor and other fire control improvements